Frequently Asked Questions
1 How long is the Electrician Trainee program?
Our training program is a total of 30 months (2½ years). It consists of 10 quarters at 3 months each.
2 How much does the ET program cost?
It is broken out by quarter; each quarter has a cost of $700 for the program (English or Spanish) for a total of 10 quarters.
3 Do I need previous electrical experience to join the program?
No, the program is designed for students just starting in the trade.
4 What do I get by enrolling in this program?
As soon as you enroll in the ET Program, we email you the enrollment form and ET registration form to send to the DIR to receive your Electrical Trainee card. Every year you must renew this card. As long as you are compliant in the program, we issue you a renewal letter. After you complete the program, you will be emailed a certificate of completion. When you need to renew your ET card, you send the certificate of completion instead of a renewal letter. You can continue to send this certificate every year until you take and pass your certification exam.
5 Do I receive a certificate at the end the program?
You will be emailed a certificate of completion. When you need to renew your ET card, you send the certificate of completion instead of a renewal letter.
6 Where do I go to access my online lessons?
English students enrolled prior to October 2020 go to: www.ceticlasses.com
English students enrolled after October 2020 go to: www.nccerconnect.com
Spanish students use the link emailed to them for GoToTraining.
7 On the online lessons, can I stop and resume later?
Yes, you can stop the lesson and resume later. The quiz must be done in one sitting.
8 Am I required to print out the class materials?
No. You are required to download any documents provided and review but not required to print them out. CET highly suggests you print out the materials for your own recordkeeping and to use for assistance on the quizzes.
9 Where do I go to view the schedule for classes and labs?
10 How do I log in to schedule my class or lab?
11 When do I have to attend a lab?
You must attend your lab by the end of the quarter. Lab space is first come-first serve, so please to be sure to sign up for the date that works best for you at the beginning of the quarter.
12 Do I have to finish all my lessons before I can attend my lab?
No. As long as you finish all the assigned lessons and attend 1 lab by the end of the quarter you can do it in any order that suits your schedule best.
13 Can I attend my labs somewhere else?
You are welcome to attend your labs at another DIR approved ET school, however, we must be notified and approve of the lab prior to your attendance in order to get credit for the lab.
14 What happens if I cannot make my class or lab date?
You can reschedule online or call or email us up to 10 days prior to date to be rescheduled at no cost. If you notify us after this period, there is a $150 rescheduling fee for onsite dates and $50 for webinars.
15 What happens if I miss my class or lab?
An onsite missed date will have a rescheduling fee of $100. A missed webinar will have a fee of $50.
16 Does a rescheduled or makeup lab need to be done in the same quarter?
Yes. If you do not attend your lab within your quarter, by your checkout date, you will go on Academic Probation.
17 What is the Checkout Period?
This is the time frame that you have to pay for your next quarter. The checkout period starts 2 weeks prior to the last day of the quarter.
18 If I finish my quarter early, can I move forward to the next one faster?
No, you have to wait until the Checkout Period to start your next quarter.
19 What happens if I don’t pay for my next quarter during the Checkout Period?
You will be put on Academic Probation and you will have to pay the applicable probation fee.
20 What is the Checkout Date?
This is the last day of your quarter. The Checkout Date is the day that you must have completed all the lessons, labs, and paid for your next quarter.
21 Who do I contact if I need help?
You can contact our office by phone at (562) 485-9144 or by email at bkadar@nlcaa.org, mlopez@nlcaa.org or mmartinez@nlcaa.org.
22 What do I do if I want to be dropped from the program?
Notify us by phone or email and we will drop you from the program. We will also notify the DIR that you are no longer attending our school.
23 What if I completed the Electrical Trainee Program, how do I renew my trainee card?
You need to make a copy of your Certificate of Completion and attach it with your Renewal Application each year to be legally working.
24 What is Academic Probation?
There are three reasons a student can go on Academic Probation. By the end of the quarter the lessons are not complete, the required lab was not attended, and/or the next quarter was not paid for by the checkout date.
25 How do I get off Probation and back on Good Standing?
Within 30 days of the probation status, you must complete the incomplete quarter AND make the next quarter payment.
26 What happens if I am dropped from school?
You will lose access to the training and will not be allowed to sign up for classes and labs. We will notify the DIR causing your ET card status to become inactive.
27 How do I get back in the program if dropped?
Within 1 year of drop, you must pay a $100 reinstatement fee to rejoin the program. After 1 year, you will need to contact us to start the program over again.
28 What happens if I do not reinstate myself in the program?
After one year of being dropped if you decide to come back to the program you will have to start over as a new student.
29 Where can I find more information about the program?
1 How often do I have to renew my electrical trainee card?
The State requires you to renew your ET card every year.
2 What do I need to do to renew my trainee card?
3 Is there a fee to renew my ET card?
If you renew your card before the expiration date, there is no fee. If you let the card expire and have to reinstate, there is a $25 fee.
4 What do I do if my Electrical Trainee card expires?
You will need to complete the Electrical Trainee Reinstatement form and get proof of enrollment in a state approval ET Program. Send these forms and applicable fees to the state to have your ET card reinstated.
5 What does an ET "Inactive" status mean?
It means you are not active on the Electrician Trainee list and are not able to legally work under a C-10 Licensed Contractor.
1 Where can I find more information about the Electrician Certification?
2 Does CET offer Continuing Education (CE) Classes?
Yes, CET offers CE classes online and through our hands-on labs. Currently, all our CE courses are relevant to the general electrical certification. We also encourage students to sign up for CE classes through our non-profit partner, NLCAA, if interestd in Lighting Controls and Title 24 training (https://nlcaa.org/courses).
3 How do I renew my Electrician Certification?
4 What do I do if my Electrician Certification Card expires?
If your card expires, you will be required to retake the state exam. You need to complete the renewal application (mark the section for Renewal of EXPIRED Certification or Retake of Exam) and submit the form with the applicable fees to the state to retake the exam. After your certification has expired you will not be recognized as a certified electrician and must register as an electrician trainee with the state in order to legally work as an electrician in California during the gap between your expiration date and the date you re-take and pass the exam.
5 When is the latest I can submit my renewal application to avoid my certification from being expired?
The paperwork must be postmarked by your expiration date. Renewal applications submitted prior to or on the date of expiration will be accepted.
1 Can I take a lab if I am not a student in the ET program?
Yes. Go to https://www.californiaelectricaltraining.com and register. Then you can choose the lab you would like to attend. The price of a single lab is $150.
2 Does CET offer job placement services?
No, students are responsible for finding work on their own.
3 Does CET offer financial aid?
No, payments must be made via credit or debit card.